The Boxing Day
by LadyFromPoland
Summary: There are Christmas. Arthur thinks about Merlin. He misses him. It's a bit sad story but still there's a hope ; Light slash Merlin/Arthur. A little bit about Arthur's mother: Igraine.
1. The Boxing Day

**It's my Christmas gift for you. It's a bit sad but still there's a hope I that short story. I hope you will like it and you will forgive me some mistakes. Polish is my mother language, not English ;)**

**Oh, "Merlin" belongs to BBC, not to me.  
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**Read people!**

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**"_**The Boxing Day"**_

Arthur was sitting on his bed. There was night. Almost all castle was sleeping in a peaceful dream.

Young prince was looking at the little box on his bedside table. He could not sleep. It was first Christmas without Merlin since he had come to the Camelot. That young, dark haired boy, had appeared in his life in spring over three years ago. And Arthur's life had changed forever since that day. He didn't understand it but he liked it.

The blond man took a box. The next day was the Boxing Day. All lords and ladies gave little presents for their menservants and maids then. Arthur had a gift for his servant too. However there was no his servant. Not that one.

Arthur closed his eyes and bit his bottom lip. He wouldn't allow himself for crying. But it was hard. It pained him to admit it but he missed his servant, his Merlin, very much.

The prince gave up. A little tear ran down his cheek. And then he felt the next tear... and next... He started sobbing.

Merlin had had to go away. The king had discovered that his son's goofy and clumsy manservant had magic.

Arthur had helped him leave the castle. The young prince did not care about the consequences. He didn't care that Merlin had magic and that he hadn't told him. All that Arthur cared about was to make sure that his friend was safe. The secret could not erase the bond between them.

The blond man knew that he would not forget the day of Merlin's escape. It was the worst day of his life. It was the day when he felt how it is to be broken.

Arthur was in love. He loved the dark haired, magic and poor boy. But he had to be far away from him.

"Where are you?" he whispered.

The blond prince put the little box on his pillow and he lay on the bed.

He hadn't even said his friend that he loved him. He had no idea if Merlin could feel the same. But he hoped that his past servant could.

Arthur kissed a box. He was not going to open it. The box was for Merlin. It belonged to the dark haired boy. And the prince knew that this little gift was going to wait for his magic owner.

The whole castle was sleeping. No-one supposed that the heir of the throne was in pain. Big pain.

When he finally fell asleep, someone appeared in his chambers. No. It was not Merlin. That boy would wake prince up. It was Arthur's mother ghost. She appeared in her son's chambers every year. It was always between two days of Christmas.

"Don't worry my boy," she whispered softly and smiled. "One day you'll meet your friend and you'll be happy again. He loves you as much as you love him. I know that..." She sighed.

She would see her only son just once a year. But everytime she came, Arthur was a bit sad. Only that three times, when Merlin was by his side, she saw her son really happy. Igraine knew that this magic boy was a blessing for Arthur.

"When the time comes, you will be together again. But you have to be patient, Arthur. After all... you're like two sides of the same coin."

Then the ghost of Igraine disappeared.

Arthur slept in his bed. He was dreaming about the day when the little box with the gift would be opened.

_Finish_

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**Merry Christmas!**

**Reviews, please?  
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	2. An epilogue

**Some of you asked me to write how would that story be finished. So I wrote an epilogue. Actually it is longer then the one-shot that I had written. Anyway... enjoy it, people!**

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**"_**The Boxing Day"**_

_**An epilogue**_

The years passed by and Uther Pendragon passed away. There was now the times of Arthur's reign. The new king was not as young as when he had met Merlin for the first time. However he was still quite young.

It was the first day of Christmas. Sevenths Christmas without Merlin. Arthur thought about him every day. The warlock was the man that he loved after all. He could not forget about him. And blond prince, now king, waited for him. He hoped that Merlin would hear that Uther was dead and the magic was no longer banned.

The box with a present waited as well. It waited in the chest of drawers.

The evening had come. Arthur sat alone in his chambers. He stayed in the rooms in which he had grown up. He didn't want to live in his father's chambers. The past king was the reason of Merlin's escape after all.

Young king was sitting in his armchair. In the chamber were only two candles. He had his worries. Some of his people wanted to have a queen. But the problem was that he didn't want to. Arthur was in love with a man. Nothing could change that.

The man fell asleep in his comfortable armchair. He didn't hear when someone opened the door. But it was not a ghost of his mother. It was too early for her.

Person, who came into king's chambers, smiled softly. He, because it was a man, came to the Arthur and watched him a longer while. He wanted to wake king up but he thought that it would be a bit harsh.

Arthur had a bad dream. He didn't see anyone but he heard woman's voice. She told him to open his eyes.

King woke up and looked around. He saw someone but he couldn't recognise him yet.

"Who are you?" the blond man asked.

"Honestly, Arthur," the other man said. "I hoped that there will be here a Christmas feast. And you, the king, are sleeping as if it was a normal evening."

Arthur blinked a few times. He knew that voice. He dreamt about seeing its owner once again.

"Merlin," he whispered and got up. Young king didn't know what to do. He wanted to kiss him or, at least, hug him, but he had no courage to do this.

"It's nice to know that you still remember my name," the sorcerer teased.

"I'm glad you're back." Arthur was too happy to tease back.

"Me too..." Merlin smiled and hugged his friend. "Maybe you're prat but... I missed you."

"Idiot," Arthur murmured. He wanted to last in embrace forever. But he couldn't. "Sit," king said. "You must be hungry. I'll..."

"Arthur..." Merlin looked at him smiling. "I ate recently. I came here to talk to you, not to eat."

"But you'll stay here," he said with hope. "You're not going to go away or something?"

Merlin felt warmth in his heart. Arthur didn't want to lose him again. "I'm staying here," the warlock said. "Since the magic is no longer banned I suppose that you need someone who you can trust in that subject."

Arthur laughed. "If I knew someone... but... well... I think that I'll have to accept you."

They talked and joked several hours. Arthur asked somebody to prepare a chamber for Merlin. However they didn't want to stop talking and laughing. They were unwilling to separate.

"It's twelve," the blond man said when they heard the bell.

"Right..." Merlin said sadly. "I should go."

"I didn't mean that," Arthur explained him quickly. "It's just a Boxing Day already. I've got something for you."

The warlock frowned. "Do you really have? You couldn't know that I would come back today."

"That's true." Arthur smiled shyly. He came to the chest of drawers, took a box and showed it the other boy. Now they didn't feel like men. They were as young prince and his goofy but sweet manservant again.

"So how?" Merlin asked. He was really interested.

"It waited for you seven long years." King looked at the man that he loved with his beautiful light blue eyes.

"Thank you," Merlin said when Arthur gave him a box. He wasn't sure what else he was supposed to say. "That's very kind of you," he added after a while.

The sorcerer wanted to open it but the blond man stopped him.

"Why? What's inside?" the dark haired man didn't understand his friend's behaviour.

"Just... open it later. Open it when you are alone," he said kindly. "Please."

Merlin nodded slowly. "Fine," he said. "Besides... well... I should go now after all."

Arthur didn't stop him when he stood up and went out. He was too nervous and too excited. The king waited for that moment many years.

***

Merlin came into his new chamber. It wasn't big but it was for sure very nice. However he didn't think about it now. If he had a choice, he would choose Arthur's chambers with its owner.

The sorcerer lit the candle with one move of his hand.

He sat on his bed and opened a little box. There were pieces of paper. Merlin looked at them carefully and he recognised Arthur's writing. First, he thought that it was a letter. But when he started reading, he understood his mistake.

Merlin gasped. It was a story written by Arthur. It was a story about prince and manservant in love.

***

Merlin was running through the castle. He didn't care that it was night. He didn't care about it at all.

When he opened the doors of king's chambers, the blond man sat on the bed. He hoped that Merlin would come back.

The warlock closed the door. Then he turned around and came to Arthur's bed very slowly. He sat on the edge of it.

King saw tears in his eyes.

"Is that... true?" he asked. His voice was shivering.

Arthur nodded slowly. He knew that it was that moment. It was the time to tell his friend the truth. There was nothing to hide any more. There was no reason to pretend. "I love you..." he whispered.

Merlin sobbed. Arthur was a bit scared. "But please... don't go... if you don't feel the same... I..." He couldn't finish his request because warlock leant to him and placed a tender kiss on his lips.

They didn't want to pull apart. They kissed each other slowly, enjoying the feeling.

After a while the kiss started becoming wilder and wilder.

"Don't go," Arthur asked when they finally pulled apart. "Don't go from here." Merlin knew that he meant his chambers.

"Arthur... I'm not sure if..." the king placed a hand on warlock's mouth.

"Shhh..." the blond man whispered. "I know. I will not force you to anything. I thought you knew..."

Merlin smiled softly. "I know, Arthur. But I'm not sure if I am able not to force you," he joked.

Arthur laughed with relief. "Honestly, Merlin... If you do, I will not be angry."

Now they both laughed.

And the dark haired man stayed in Arthur's chambers, in king's bed. They slept in each other's arms.

"This is how it always was supposed to be," Igraine, the ghost of Arthur's mother, whispered that words and disappeared smiling softly.

Finally, her son found his love. The love of his life.

Men's destinies were linked till the end of the times. And even longer. Much longer. Because there is only one thing that death can never destroy. It is true love.

_The End_

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_**I hope you liked this epilogue.**

**Reviews?  
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